Quoted / Reported Speech
Direct speech
Indirect speech
Reported speech
Who said or thought it?
advanced
advanced
Information structure
Betekenis
A structure that reports speech, thought, belief, command, or question directly or indirectly.
Zo herken je het
Ask whose words or thoughts are being represented.
Voorbeelden
Woorden
said|told|asked|thought|quoted
Zinnen
he said that|she asked if|according to him
Voorbeeldzin
She said that she was tired.
Visual guide
Basic shape
SPEAKER / THINKER
She said [that she was tired].
[reported thought]
Ask: whose words?
→ She represents them.
Compare shape
Direct quote: She said, "I am tired." Indirect report: She said [that she was tired]. Check shifts: I→she, am→was.
Taaloverzicht
In je taal
Dutch (standard)
Aanwezigheid
strong
Belang
Reported speech uses dat or of clauses with subordinate word order, or direct quotation.
Hij zegt dat hij moe is.
He says that he tired is.
In de taal die je leert
Japanese
Aanwezigheid
strong
Moeilijkheidsgraad
Reported speech commonly uses the quotative particle と and speech verbs.
彼女は疲れたと言った。
She said that she was tired.
Veelvoorkomend struikelpunt
Learners may omit と or mishandle tense and politeness inside quoted content.
Same block, different coding
Both languages use this block strongly, but they signal it differently. Focus on form changes, not only meaning.